T-tap connectors



y5,197o P. J. SPANGLER 3,510,827

T-I'AP CONNECTORS Filed Nov. 14. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8

70 74 60 e5 64 6| 66 ea 64 62 67 w 146/ x my 68 INVENTOR PAUL J. SPANGLER BY filo/179W Fem ATTQRNEYE United States Patent Ohi Filed Nov. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 682,917 Int. Cl. H01! 11/20 US. Cl. 339-97 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical connector for joining the end of an accessory lead conductor to any portion of the length of a main line conductor. The connector comprises a conductive strip having a conductor engaging ferrule at each end. At least one of the ferrules is provided with insulation piercing prongs and is adapted to engage and pierce the insulation of the main line conductor. The remaining ferrule is adapted to permanently or temporarily retain an end of the accessory lead conductor. A cylindrical insulation sleeve having open ends and an aperture therein covers the connector so that the accessory lead extends from one end opening in the insulation sleeve, a portion of the main line extends from the other end opening in the sleeve, while another portion of the main line conductor extends from the aperture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to T-tap electrical connectors for permanently or temporarily attaching an accessory lead to a main line. Conventional T-tap connectors comprise a first ferrule which is clamped or crimped to a main line conductor and a second ferrule which is angularly related to the first ferrule and which is temporarily or permanently afiixed to an accessory lead. If the main line is provided with an insulation sheath, the ferrule portion of the connector which is to be attached to the main line is provided with insulation piercing prongs which bite through the sheath and engage the conductive wire core of the conductor. The ferrule portions of such T-tap connectors have axes which are angularly related to each other and are usually disposed at 90 angles with respect to each other.

The production of such prior art T-tap connectors having angularly related ferrule portions involves the use of relatively complex stamping and forming dies, thus increasing the manufacturing cost. Moreover, such T-tap connectors are produced by stamping operations which result in excessive scrap because the ferrule portions thereof are angularly related.

This invention provides a T-tap connector having in-line ferrule portions. One of the ferrule portions is provided with insulation piercing prongs so that the main line engaging ferrule portion makes electrical contact with that line. The accessory lead engaging ferrule may comprise a socket which engages a taper pin crimped onto the end of the accessory lead for disengagement therefrom. According to other aspects of this invention, the accessory lead engaging ferrule may be provided with insulation piercing prongs or a ferrule to be permanently affixed to the accessory lead. The provision of a T-ta'p connector having axially aligned ferrule portions facilitates manufacturing operations and reduces scrap, since such connectors may be stamped and formed from relatively narrow strip stock by simple stamping and forming dies.

According to a further aspect of this invention, the T- tap connector may be insulated by a sleeve which is proice vided with means to lock it in place over the connector.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive T-tap connector which may be permanently affixed to a main conductor line and which may be temporarily or permanently affixed to the end of an accessory lead.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a T-tap connector having its ferrule portions in axial alignment.

It is a further obpect of this invention to provide an insulation sleeve for a T-tap connector which may be locked in place over such a connector.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent and more readily understood from the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a T-tap connector according to one aspect of the present invention, showing the connector permanently attached to a main line lead and temporarily connected to the end of an accessory lead with an insulation sleeve surrounding the connector and adjacent lead portions.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the elements illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 33 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, the plane of the view being indicated by the line 4--4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the T-tap connector shown in FIG. 1, showing the connector in its uncrimped form without its insulation sleeve.

FIG. 6 is an end view of the connector illustrated in FIG. 5, the plane of the view being indicated by the line 6-6 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a circuit illustrating one use for a T-tap connector according to this invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a T-tap connector and its insulating sleeve according to another aspect of this invention.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the connector shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a T-tap connector according to a still further aspect of this invention.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the connector illustrated in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is an end view of the connector illustrated in FIG. 10, showing the connector in its uncrimped form without its insulation sleeve.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 through 7, a T-tap connector 20 is illustrated. The T-tap connector 20 comprises a first ferrule 21 and a second ferrule 22. The ferrules 21 and 22 are axially aligned and are joined by a body portion 23. The first ferrule portion 21 is formed by ears 24 and 25 which are bent into a cylinder to form a cylindrical socket 26. The second ferrule portion 22 is formed by fingers 27 and a bottom portion of the ferrule 22 is struck out to form a plurality of sharp prongs 28.

The ferrule portion 22 is permanently aflixed to an insulated main line lead 29 by pressing the lead 29 between the ears 27 and then crimping ears downwardly until the prongs 28 bite through an insulation sleeve 30 and into a wire core 31 of the lead 29. The lead 29 extends into the body portion 23 between the ferrules 21 and 22 and is bent upwardly therefrom. The lead 29 may comprise, for example, a lead for a tail light 32 (FIG. 7) for an automobile. As may be seen most clearly in FIG. 4,

3. the fingers 27 are bent or crimped downwardly on the insulation sleeve 30 so that the prongs 28 pierce'the insulation and engage the wire core 31 of the lead 29'.

An accessory lead 32 having an insulation sheath 33 covering a conductor wire core 34 is provided with a taper pin 35. The taper pin 35 may be pre-insula'ted with' a sleeve 36 and is crimped onto a bared'end portion of the accessory lead 32 by applying a compressive force to the insulating sleeve 36 and a ferrule portion 37 of the taper pin 35. The compressive force results in an indentation 38 which coins the ferrule portion 37 onto the wire 34 to provide a mechanically and electrically sound union between the taper pin 35 and the lead 32.

The pre-insulated taper pin 35 is received within the socket 26 and is detachably retained therein by a dimple 39 which engages a necked portion 40 of the taper pin 35; The end of the taper pin 35 butts against an annular indentation 41 which is provided in the ferrule 21. The accessory lead 32 may connect a trailer tail light (FIG. 7) to the main line lead 29 through the connector 20 so that the trailer tail light 51 will be energized together with the automobile tail light 32 upon closure of a switch 52.

The connector 20 may be provided with an insulating sleeve 53. The insulating sleeve 53 may be a length of cylindrical nylon tubing having a cylindrical bore 54 therethrough and a transverse bore 55 which communicates with the bore 54; The sleeve 53 is provided with a slot 56 which extends from the transverse bore 55 to one end of the sleeve 53. One end of the slot 56 may be pro-' vided with a notch 57 to facilitate mounting of the sleeve 53 over the connector 20. After the connector 20 has been crimped onto the lead 30, the sleeve 53 may he slipped over the ferrule 21 and then over the ferrule 22 by pushing the notch against the upturned portion of the lead 30 so that the upturned portion of the lead 30 is passed through the slot 56 and into the transverse bore 55. When the upturned portion of the lead 30 reaches the transverse bore 55, the sleeve is locked in place relative to the connector 20 since the sleeve cannot be re= moved from the lead 30 without prying the split portion of the sleeve apart. The taper pin 35 of the accessory lead 50 may then be inserted into the socket 26 of the connector by inserting the taper pin 35 through the open end of the sleeve 53. Of course, it should be appreciated that the sleeve 53 may be assembled after the taper pin 35 has been inserted in the socket 26 by first slipping the sleeve 53 over the end of the accessory lead 50 and then, after connecting the taper pin to the connector 20, sliding the sleeve 53 over the connector 20 in the previously described manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, a T-tap connector 60 according to a further aspect of this invention is illustrated. The T-tap connector 60 has a first ferrule portion 61 and a second ferrule portion 62. The ferrule portions 61 and 62 are identical and are joined by a body portion 63. Each ferrule portion 61 and 62 comprises a plurality of fingers 64 and a plurality of prongs 65 which are struck upwardly from the bottom of the ferrule.

, The T-tap connector 60 may be afiixed to a main line lead 66 and to an accessory lead 70 in the following manner. An insulating sleeve 69, which is similar to the insulation sleeve 53, is slipped over the accessory lead 70. The insulation sleeve 69 may comprise a hollow cylindrical nylon tube having a cylindrical bore 71 therein and r a transverse bore 72 which communicates with the bore 71. The sleeve 69 is provided with a slit 73 which extends from one end of the sleeve 69 to the transverse bore 72. After the sleeve 69 has been slipped over the accessory lead 70, an end portion of the lead 70 is exposed and inserted within the fingers 64 of the ferrule61. The fingers 64 are then crimped downwardly on the end of the lead 70 so that the prongs 65 pierce an insulation sheath74 of the lead 70 and bite into a conductive wire core 75. At this stage of the assembly, the insulation sleeve 69 is retained on the lead 70 by the uncrimped ferrule 62 of the connector After the ferrule 61 has been affixed to the lead 70, the ferrule portion 62 is attached to a main line lead 66 by inserting the lead 66 between the fingers 64 and then crimping the fingers 64 downwardly until the prongs pierce an insulation sheath 67 of the lead 66 and bite into a conductive wire core 68 of that lead. The sleeve 69 is then slipped over the connector 60 so that the transverse bore 72 surrounds the lead 66. The connector 60 provides a permanent connection between the leads 66 and 76 and the sleeve 69 provides a permanent insulation for that connecotr.

Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, a T-tap connector 80 according to a still further aspect of this invention is illustrated. The connector 80 comprises a first ferrule portion 81 and a second ferrule portion 82. The second ferrule portion 82 comprises a plurality of fingers 83 and has a plurality of prongs 84 struck out of the bottom.

The ferrule portion 82 is aifixed to a main line lead 85 by inserting the lead between the fingers 83 and crimping those fingers downwardly on the lead until the prongs 84 pierce an insulation sheath 86 and bite into a conductive wire core 87. a

The ferrule 81 has a first pair of ears 88 and a second pair of ears 89 which respectively engage a bared end portion 90 and an insulation sheath portion 91 of an acecssory lead 92. The ears 88 are crimped onto the portion 90 and the ears 89 are crimped onto the portion 91 by conventional crimping techniques to form a permanent connection with the lead 92.

Prior to such a crimping operation, an insulating sleeve 93 is slipped over the accessory lead 92. The sleeve 93 may comprise a length of nylon tubing having a cylindrical bore 94 therein and a transverse bore 95 which communicates with the bore 94. After the accessory 94 is crimped onto the ferrule portion 91 the sleeve 93 is pushed over the connector 80 until the transverse bore 95 engages and surrounds the lead 84.

It should be appreciated that according to the various aspects of this invention, the T-tap connector may be crimped to the accessory lead first, or may be crimped to the main line lead first. The assembly procedures set forth above, therefore, are merely illustrative of a number of assembly techniques which may be followed to provide electrical connections according to this invention;

The invention is not restricted to the slavish imitation of each and every detail set forth above. Obviously, connectors and insulation sheaths may be provided which change, eliminate, or add certain details without departing from'the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connection between a main line conductor and an accessory lead comprising a main line conductor, an accessory lead, a connector electrically connecting said lead and conductor, said connector com prising a first ferrule portion permanently affixed to a portion of said main line conductor intermediate the ends of that conductor and a second axially aligned ferrule portion integrally joined and spaced from the first ferrule portion by a body portion, a portion of the main line conductor extending at an angle from the body portion between the first and second ferrule portions, said second ferrule portion being connected to said accessory lead, a length of hollow tubing having an axial bore therein surrounding said connector, a transverse bore extending through said tubing and communicating with said axial bore, said axial bore surrounding the ppgtion of the main line conductor which extends at an angle from said body portion, 'and an entry slit through said tubing and extending between said transverse bore and one end 'of the tubing. v

2. An electrical connection according to claim 1 wherein the juncture zone between the slit and one end 'of the tubing is provided with a notch to facilitate insertion of said portion of the main line conductor through said slit and into said transverse bore.

3. A T-tap connector for electrically connecting a main line conductor to an accessory lead, said connector comprising first and second axially aligned ferrule portions integrally joined and spaced from each other by a body portion so that the ferrule-to-ferrule space defined by said body portion is at least as great as the diameter of the main line conductor to which the connector is to be attached, one of said ferrule portions being adapted to be permanently aflixed to a single main line conductor and the other ferrule being adapted to be connected to a single accessory lead, an insulating sleeve covering said connector, said sleeve being provided with a transverse bore for receiving a portion of the main line conductor, and said sleeve having a slit extending between said transverse bore and one end of the sleeve.

References Cited UNITED 2,034,090 3/1936 2,604,341 7/1952 2,665,673 1/1954 2,715,654 8/1955 2,952,206 9/1960 3,058,088 10/1962 3,145,260 8/1964 3,335,392 8/1967 STATES PATENTS Douglas 339-276 Bergan 287-75 Woofter 123-169 Lucas 174-77 Becksted 102-27 Miller.

Reid et a1. 17472 Elliott.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

